NI students allowed to travel home for Christmas
The UK government's set out a plan for a one-week student travel window to get them home from university for Christmas.
Hundreds of thousands will be asked to make their journeys in the seven days after England's lockdown ends next month.
Universities in England have been told to switch from in-person teaching to online classes by early December and set staggered departure dates between December 3 and 9 to allow families to be reunited.
The Government also said Covid-19 tests will be offered to as many students as possible before they travel home.
That would mean students will have enough time to complete the self-isolation period and return home for Christmas if they test positive for Covid-19 before the travel window.
But if a student decides to remain on campus later into the month, they will need to remain in self-isolation in their student accommodation for 10 days if they test positive for coronavirus.
Universities will be asked to provide additional help and support - including affordable food - to students who remain on campus over Christmas.
But some say the plans are "riddled with holes''.
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, highlighted the tight timescale for a mass movement of people, adding: "Allowing just a week for around one million students to travel across the country leaves little room for error.''
She added: "If the Government instead told universities to move online now it would provide much more time to stagger the movement of students and better protect the health of staff, students and their wider communities.''
In Scotland, there will be a ministerial statement on Wednesday afternoon on supporting students to return home safely at the end of term.
In Wales, the issue is likely to be addressed at a press conference with the country's education minister, Kirsty Williams.